UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new Penn State policy has been launched that allows employees who return to work for the University to receive credit for their prior years of full-time service.  

“We know the nature of work has changed, and that people may leave for a variety of reasons — to pursue new growth opportunities, gain new experiences, changes in life circumstances and so on,” said Jennifer Wilkes, vice president for Human Resources and chief human resources officer. “But we want highly qualified and experienced former employees to know the door is always open for them to return to Penn State, and they don’t have to start from scratch when it comes to some of our benefits.” 

The new Penn State Human Resources policy — HR109 — establishes parameters for a one-time benefit crediting prior years of service for former full-time benefits-eligible, non-unionized employees who return to Penn State within five years of their last day. 

Reinstated years of service will be used to determine vacation accrual, emeritus eligibility for those otherwise eligible for emeritus status under Policy AC25, and for determining benefits eligibility into retirement as outlined in Policy HR54.  

Details on how to apply for HR109 are outlined in the policy. Employees must fill out the form included in the policy to be eligible for this one-time benefit. 

Policy HR109 applies to employees who have a rehire date on or after Jan. 1, 2024. 

Wilkes said the idea for the new policy originated from a suggestion by the University Staff Advisory Council to develop a mechanism for returning employees to keep their previous years of service. 

“We thought it was a great idea to let our employees know that Penn State values their prior time and contributions to the University, and I think this new policy helps to communicate that,” she said.  

Employees with questions about HR109: Leaving and Returning to Penn State Employment, should reach out to the Penn State Human Resources benefits team at benefits@psu.edu.